


Game On

by pogopop



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Audio games, Gen, i love these two, just banter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-25 21:06:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14985593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pogopop/pseuds/pogopop
Summary: “Okay. Well. You know how much I like video games? Well, I thought it was about time that you gave them a go.”Matt blinks. This was unexpected. “Uh, Fog, is that meant to be funny?”“No! I’m being serious.”“I mean. Um. I guess, technically, I’ve played before. But all I did was mash buttons. The game sounds made no sense. Sorry, man, but I didn’t enjoy it and I don’t think that’s going to change.”“That is where you’re wrong, my friend. I’ve got a new game I want to try, and it’s all audio. No visuals at all! It’s pretty much made for you.” Matt is not feeling enthused. “C’mon, man! Don’t knock it until you try it. Please?”Matt’s never been able to resist Foggy’s pleading voice. He sighs and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, ok then. What’s it called?”





	Game On

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tj_teejay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tj_teejay/gifts).



> Just a response to a prompt I saw. AKA avoidance of my multi chapter work.
> 
> I started a [tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/runpogorun) so come and follow me!

Matt's not self conscious or embarrassed or wistful about his blindness. It's just part of his life, like having red hair or a limp. Sure, it affects how he does things, but it's not a focal point (ha). It means that he misses out on some things that sighted people enjoy, but it's less than most people seem to think, and it's not a big deal. It's just a fact of life.

 

Video games seem to slot firmly into the visual sphere that he can't access. Matt didn't play any as a kid, because his dad didn't approve; he preferred Matt to be active or studying, and there wasn't the money, anyway. After Matt lost his sight there wasn't any point, and Matt really didn't, still doesn't, care.

 

So when he starts rooming with Foggy, and discovers that Foggy is keen on video games, he doesn't have an opinion beyond politely requesting that Foggy use headphones when Matt's around. Foggy happily complies. Matt can still hear the game noises, coupled with Foggy's gasps and muttered curses, but it's no big deal. Sometimes they sit side by side on Foggy's bed, shoulders pressed together, while Foggy plays and Matt listens to music and reads. It's nice.

 

After they graduate and get their own apartments they spend less time together. Matt's got his new *ahem* hobby, and he doesn't ask how Foggy spends his evenings. They still hang out occasionally; beer, pizza and a movie make for a relaxed evening.

 

It's late Friday afternoon and the office is quiet, Karen already gone for the day. Matt is planning an evening in. Friday nights are busy on the streets, but Matt's nursing his ribs and he needs to take the night off. He hears Foggy's approaching footsteps stop in his office doorway. There's a creak and a rustle of clothing as Foggy leans up against the door jamb, and Matt raises his face from the papers on his desk.

 

“Matty, listen to this: You, me, Thai, beer. Perfect Friday night, am I right?” Foggy spreads his hands wide, palms up.

 

Matt leans back carefully in his wobbly chair, and adjusts his glasses. “Is that an invitation or a general point of discussion?”

 

Foggy huffs a laugh. “Invitation, buddy. I've got something to show you.”

 

Matt makes a ‘why not’ face and shrugs. He and Foggy haven't hung out in the last two weeks. “Your shout.”

 

“You got it.”

 

“Give me half an hour to get through this and I'm all yours.” Matt pats the file in front of him and leans forward again in his chair, making sure he doesn’t doesn’t betray any discomfort.

 

Foggy pushes off the door jamb and gestures with one arm. “I saluted, by the way,” he says over his shoulder, as he turns back to his office.  

 

Matt’s fingers find his place on the document and he skims quickly through the report. Work is always quicker when there’s a reward at the end.

 

Twenty-five minutes later and Matt’s tidying his files away, straightening his desk ready for Monday morning. He can hear Foggy doing the same on the other side of the office. They meet by the door, Matt retrieving his cane from the corner as he passes. He hears Foggy flick off the office lights and they make their escape.

 

As they walk down the street, Foggy’s telling some convoluted story about his cousin’s boyfriend’s dog, and Matt is laughing so hard he’s having trouble navigating, and damn his ribs really are sore. Foggy has to grab his arm to stop him walking into a lamp post. It jars Matt’s ribs a bit, but he covers well enough. He thinks.

 

There’s an excellent Thai restaurant a couple of doors down from Foggy’s building, (“Lucky you like this place so much, Murdock. I wouldn't want to offend your delicate sensibilities.”), so they stop in there and grab take out for their dinner. Matt loves the smell of this kitchen. They use fresh, organic vegetables and balance sweet and sour perfectly. It’s heaven.

 

Matt knows Foggy’s apartment well. Of course, he could find his way around easily enough, even if he wasn’t familiar with the layout. Still, he’s been here often enough that he doesn’t have to pretend, and he doesn’t have to be that careful, either. He leans his cane up by the door as he follows Foggy in, hears Foggy flick on the lights then deposit the take out on the coffee table and walk to the fridge. Matt parks his briefcase by the door and hangs up his suit jacket then makes his way to the couch to open the food containers.

 

Foggy comes back with cold beer, which he places on the table near Matt’s hand. Something’s changed in his demeanour, and for a moment Matt has trouble working it out. This is so routine for them, but for some reason Foggy’s heart rate has picked up slightly.

 

“So,” Foggy says, drawing the vowel out and sitting next to Matt. “I had an idea. And I want you to hear me out before you knock it. Okay?” Foggy sounds a little excited. Matt’s baffled.

 

“Okay?” Matt responds, unsure.

 

“Okay. Well. You know how much I like video games? Well, I thought it was about time that you gave them a go.”

 

Matt blinks. This was unexpected. “Uh, Fog, is that meant to be funny?”

 

“No! I’m being serious.”

 

“I mean. Um. I guess, technically, I’ve played before. But all I did was mash buttons. The game sounds made no sense. Sorry, man, but I didn’t enjoy it and I don’t think that’s going to change.”

 

“That is where you’re wrong, my friend. I’ve got a new game I want to try, and it’s all audio. No visuals at all! It’s pretty much made for you.” Matt is not feeling enthused. “C’mon, man! Don’t knock it until you try it. Please?”

 

Matt’s never been able to resist Foggy’s pleading voice. He sighs and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, ok then. What’s it called?”

 

“Yes! You’ll love this. It’s called A Blind Legend. Your character is a knight who travels with his daughter to find his wife, killing enemies on the way. I thought it might appeal to your heroic tendencies.”

 

Matt snorts. “I don’t have heroic tendencies.”

 

“Uh, yeah you do. Remember the time the Torts lecturer was picking on that girl, Bridget, and you stood up and told him he was a misogynist asshole who needed to get his priorities straight? Heroic tendencies, if stupid at times. Anyway. The game's loaded on my iPad, and you’ll need to wear headphones.”

 

“Okay. I said I’ll try it. But no promises that I’ll like it. And first, food, beer.”

 

They eat, and Matt relaxes into Foggy’s soft couch, enjoying their easy banter. He misses this, when they don’t do it.

 

“How did you even know that this game existed?”

 

“Just an article I read. There are a few others with good reviews, but I thought we’d just start with this one. There’s an older one, The BlindSide, that sounds super scary.”

 

When they finish eating Foggy shoves the headphones into Matt’s hands, and he grudgingly puts them on. He feels ridiculous. But he starts anyway, and the game tells him to how to swipe around for different actions. At a stretch, it’s not that far removed from how he usually uses his phone.

 

Foggy leans over, watching. So Matt asks him what’s on the screen, and he says that it’s almost black, just vague clouds and sometimes an impression of his sword. After a while, Foggy pulls out his phone and earbuds, and Matt can hear the intro to the same game.

 

It’s… interesting. There’s the tinny quality to the sound that he always finds irritating with recorded audio. It’s much flatter than what he hears with his own ears, so much missing, less to go off. But he sets that aside and quickly finds himself immersed in the story and the journey. The controls are straight forward, although he dies a few times before he works out what to do. It’s a new skill, and he enjoys the challenge in that. After a while, he uses up his available lives and is forced to stop. He checks his watch and is surprised to discover that he’s been playing much longer than he thought. He pushes the headphones off and turns to Foggy, who looks up from his own game.

 

“What’s the verdict, Your Honour?” That’s Foggy’s smile voice. He knows Matt enjoyed it.

 

Matt chews the inside of his cheek, tips his head from side to side. “I didn’t hate it. But I’m going to reserve judgement.”

 

“Pffft. You loved it. You dork.”

 

Matt lets himself smile back.

 

Matt’s ribs really are pretty sore, if he’s honest. He gives himself the week off patrol, which means that he’s at a loose end in the evening. And, somehow, he finds himself downloading A Blind Legend. The commentary can sound a little strange at times, but he enjoys it. He thinks he might be rather good at it. He finds a whole site dedicated to audio game reviews, and tries a zombie game called Swamp, with a multi player mode which lets him play capture the flag against a bot. He enjoys that a lot. So much, in fact, that on Thursday afternoon he finds himself leaning casually in Foggy’s office doorway.

 

“So.”

 

“So?” Foggy sounds a little frazzled. He’s just been in a meeting with a client who they want to help, but is rather obnoxious. Foggy had drawn the short straw this time around.

 

“Want to come to mine tonight? Beer, pizza, and, um. A game?”

 

There’s a beat, and Matt listens closely for Foggy’s reaction.

 

Foggy claps his hands loudly, making Matt jump. “I knew it! Yes, indeed. I am there with _bells on_. Shall we bust this joint?” Foggy’s already standing, swinging his suit jacket off the back of his chair. Matt laughs, and goes to collect his things.

 

As it turns out, Matt is much better than Foggy at Swamp. Matt, not to put too fine a point on it, kicks Foggy’s butt.

 

Game on.


End file.
